Category Archives: Estate Planning
In spite of strides, women still treated as ‘unequal’ in estate planning
Women have come a long way in many ways in achieving equality with the male members of society, but there is one area where they still lag far behind. A recent article in Forbes magazine, with the nifty title “Nice Girls Talk About Estate Planning” points out that women are the chief executive officers… Read More »
Court sides with nursing home against woman’s grandchildren
An elderly New York State woman thought she was doing the right thing for her grandchildren. A court ruled otherwise, in a case of estate planning gone horribly wrong. The woman, Lillian Hellman, sought to have four annuities, which she obtained in her name with her in control of the accounts, transferred to each… Read More »
Appeals court extends attorney-client privilege
People turn to attorneys for estate planning for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the assurance that information exchanged in the process is protected from disclosure. “A fundamental principle in the client-lawyer relationship is that, in the absence of the client’s informed consent, the lawyer must not reveal information relating… Read More »
When irrevocable trusts no longer make sense, they can be revoked
There’s irrevocable in the dictionary, and then there’s irrevocable in the law. The two are not the same thing at all, and for that, some people are quite grateful, according to a recent article in Forbes magazine. “Americans were once trust-happy,” the story began. “Now many are having second thoughts, and rightly so. Given… Read More »
Estate planning an obligation, not an option
The message cannot be repeated often enough or strongly enough: Estate planning is not solely for the well to do. It’s something we all need to do. “With all the noise in the last few years about taxing the rich and the future of the federal estate tax, the message that ordinary folks also… Read More »
Inherited Financial Security A Blessing, If Handled Correctly
Money does not equal happiness. Let that sink in. It can be hard to believe, but it’s true. Sure, it’s easier to be unhappy when poor, but family wealth, if not handled correctly, can also be a source of grief. In recent stories for Forbes magazine, author Thayer Willis, herself the descendant of the… Read More »
Death Is Inevitable, But Financial Hassles Can Be Avoided
When a spouse dies is not the time to find out proper steps haven’t been taken to deal with new financial realities. According to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, even people who feel they are properly prepared can find themselves facing more than grief at the loss of a loved one…. Read More »
Older Unmarried Couples Must Get Estate Planning Done
Young people who decide to live together without benefit of clergy, as the old expression had it, may not have any pressing need to figure out the complexities they face in estate planning, but seasoned citizens who choose to forego the formalities face some very real time pressure. While it is important for people… Read More »
Unmarried Couples Face Estate Planning Hurdles
People who choose to live together rather than get married, whatever their reasons, don’t love each other any less. But the law tends to think they do. “Unmarried couples do not have legal protections enjoyed by married couples, such as automatic inheritance rights and the ability to make decisions should a spouse become incapacitated,”… Read More »
When it Comes to Wills: Details, Details, Details
When it comes to deciding who gets what in a will, no detail is too small. That includes silly little knicknacks and items of kitsch that mom and dad may have accumulated over the years, as families sometimes discover to their lasting dismay when no instructions exist on divying such things up among the… Read More »